Today I listened to three blues albums that I read about last night in the current issue of Blues Revue Magazine. The three albums are At Least I’m Not With You by The Insomniacs. Sean Chambers 2005 release Humble Spirits and Anders Osborne 2010 release American Patchwork. I enjoyed all three albums with the first two being new favorites and the third only listened to once!
First up was The Insomniacs At Least I’m Not With You. The Insomniacs hail from Portland, Oregon and play a vintage blues on vintage instruments from Delta Groves website:
They play vintage instruments and channel a blues style from the 1950s, but there is a distinct new cyberspace bent to Delta Groove’s blues award winning quartet, The Insomniacs. These musicians who have quickly jumped into the top tier of clubs tour endless highways in a beat up van, babying a gut-string upright, the 1951 Fender “Nocaster” guitar, the 1964 Framus Star Bass and their Magnatone and Ampeg tube amps.
Lead by Vyasa Dodson’s songwriting, vocals and guitar these guys can flat out play. The band consists of:
Vyasa Dodson- Vocals, Guitar Alex Shakeri- keyboards, harmonica Allen Markel-bass David Melyan-drums
At Least I’m Not With You is their second release their first album was Left Coast Blues. Left Coast Blues was critically aclaimed and the band has been nominated and received several awards including
2008 Blues Music Award Nomination – Best New Artist Debut
2009 Blues Blast Music Award from Illinois Blues for At Least I’m Not With You.
2006 Best New Blues Act – Cascade Blues Association for Left Coast Blues
“The Insomniacs are the new generation of high-energy, authentic, young-bloods who have done their homework and incorporated their own unique soulful style” – Randy Chorktoff (CEO – Delta Groove)
Like I said I liked this album I enjoyed Dodson’s vocals as well as his guitar playing. Shakeri’s piano and organ playing were also very good! I particularly enjoyed the tracks “Maybe Sometime Later”, “Description Blues” “Angry Surfer” complete with a Ventures sound!, and the closing track “Insomniacs Boogie” . But like always I enjoyed the other tracks, too. So check Them Out!
Here’s “Maybe Sometime Later” a favorite!
Coming tomorrow – Sean Chambers and Anders Osborne, but writing tonight has been a struggle!